The Dawn of VRAINS
by GearfriedTheSynchro
Summary: The passion of Duel Monsters has declined with the new introduction of Link Summoning. After a pitch by a man wanting to change this, Industrial Illusions creates the VRAINS, and launches it by hosting a tournament for the entire world. Just what will this new era bring?
1. The Announcement

**So, I had a bit of an idea for a story that I just had to try. See the end of the chapter for a better explanation.**

 **Chapter 1 – The Announcement**

* * *

It was hard for many to describe why the concept of Duel Monsters had taken the world by storm. But for whatever reason, it certainly had. History books showed the early days. Of 2000 Life Points and no Tribute Summons. Of the dawn of Fusion Summoning, Synchro Summoning, Xyz Summoning, and Pendulum Summoning. The game had evolved far beyond what Maximillion Pegasus had begun many years ago. And it continued to evolve. Turbo Duels and Action Duels had been popular styles, though they had admittedly faded away over time. And then there was the newest addition.

Link Summoning.

Along a corridor walked a man in a business suit. He wore a solemn look as he walked, his mind deep in thought as to what he was about to do. If all went well, this could be the newest strive in the world of dueling. Just like that, his name would be known all over the world. It would be astounding.

As the doors opened, he felt one more rush of nervousness course through him before he stepped forward. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the board." He said, bowing in respect. "Thank you for bestowing the honour of a meeting with me."

"Mr. Smith, is it?" One of the members asking, looking over a clipboard.

He nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes, that would be me. Jackson Smith. Thank you again, sir."

"Enough of the pleasantries." Another member said dryly, practically staring holes into Jackson. "You said you had something amazing for us."

Jackson nodded again, quickly moving to stand at the front. "Yes, I do." He said, placing a briefcase on the table. "As most people in the world do, I love the game Duel Monsters. I remember when I was a young boy first starting out the game, and learning all I could about its history. It was fantastic, looking at the humble beginnings. And now we stand here, but something hasn't worked this time. I can only speak for myself, but I only see a Link Summoning once in twenty duels. When this mechanic was introduced, suddenly everything was different. You couldn't summon extensively from the Extra Deck like you could before. There was a decline in card sales. People simply weren't interested in trying the new way of dueling."

"If you have a point, I suggest you get to it." Said the impatient board member from before as he checked his watch.

Jackson almost stuttered before he managed to get himself back on track. "Apologies. As I was saying, I realised that we need something to encourage a new style of dueling. So, as I should have done before, I looked to history. And I concluded that what we need to do is rather simple. When dueling was first introduced, Dueling Kingdom was held. When we moved to 4000 Life Points, Battle City changed the game." He smiled as he looked around. "Members of the board, we need a tournament."

"A tournament?" One of the members scoffed. "That's what you built all this up to be?"

"But what if this tournament could be accessed by any dueling? Won by any duelist?" Jackson asked, a smile in his face as he drummed his fingers along the brief case. "The final match could be a duelist from Japan against a duelist from Iceland."

"We don't have the money to fly people around." Another member said loudly.

"We don't have to." Jackson said happily. "We simply have to host this tournament in the VRAINS."

As silence passed through the room at his declaration, Jackson laughed. "Apologies, I got ahead of myself. VRAINS is something I've created. It stands for Virtual Reality Artificial Intelligence Network System. An entire universe, solely in machines that anyone can use." As he turned over his briefcase, he opened it, revealing a circular wrist device. "This is part of what you require to access the VRAINS, the other part I simply couldn't bring due to size. Essentially, when in effect, your mind is sent to this world. You can do anything in it that you could do in the real world, but more. Create avatars and identities if you please. See people from every corner of the world, and share with them in the art of dueling."

He could feel it. He could feel how the room had changed with his words. Suddenly, every eye was on him, every ear listening to his words.

"Shall I continue?" He asked with a grin.

* * *

Dalton Phillips was excited, to say the least. Everyone knew about it. The idea that Industrial Illusions was going to make a big announcement. Nobody knew exactly what, but the rumours were all over the place. Massive stories of wonder and fortune for all travelled everywhere Dalton went. The whole world seemed to be waiting impatiently for whatever the company was going to say.

Industrial Illusions was a titan company. The company that had produced the first ever Duel Monster cards under the guidance of Maximillion Pegasus. And now, long after the legendary creator's passing, it was still here. Sure, they had lost some favour with the introduction of Link Summoning. But the company still commanded respect. Which was why Dalton wasn't surprised to find the TV already on as he came inside. "Did I miss anything?" He asked, looking to the other three already sitting on the couch.

"Nope, just some commercial for the newest Tag Dueling video game." Connor, Dalton's older brother, answered. He was only three years older than Dalton, having turned 19 just recently. His hair was as messed up as it always was as he relaxed against the couch.

As Dalton moved to sit on the arm of the couch, one of his friends, Alexandra Rose, turned to face him. "Where even were you, Dalton?" She asked, tucking her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ear. Alexa was the same age as Dalton, and had lived next door to him and his family for as long as they both could remember. They were best friends, they did everything together. And when it came to tag duels, they were a force to be reckoned with.

"Dalton is always late." The final person, Cassandra Murdoch, laughed. She had only met the group last year when she transferred into Dalton and Alexandra's class, but she had fit in all the same. Her fiery red hair always emphasised her laugh or her smile.

As Dalton was about to raise his voice in a protest, Connor cut him off. "Shut up, it's starting." He said, pointing to the television screen, where the familiar logo of Industrial Illusions. When it faded away, the camera was now focusing on a man sitting at a desk who none of the four recognised. He had short black hair, and his green eyes shone through his glasses as he wore the biggest smile he could possibly wear.

"Hello." The man began, looking directly into the camera. My name is Jackson Smith. Three months ago, I came to this amazing company with an idea. With a plan to change the world of dueling. They graciously accepted me with open arms, and so today I sit here, ready to tell you all of what Industrial Illusions has in store. It is no secret that with the advent of Link Summoning, the game certainly went through changes."

"I hear that." Alexandra muttered, and Dalton had to suppress a laugh. She hadn't taken well to how Link Summoning changed the use of the Extra Deck.

"And I saw the words many had against it." Jackson continued. "So many duelists felt like their decks were hurt beyond belief. How would they use their favourite deck when there was no Link monster to use it with? But today, I bring forth a new dawn. I present to you, the VRAINS."

"The what now?" Connor asked with a raised eyebrow, causing everyone to shush him as Jackson was still smiling at the screen.

"The VRAINS is a virtual reality software like no other." The man said. "An entire world, that we can all access. No matter where you're from, no matter how rich or poor you are, we want to bring this program to you. The devices to use this will be free, for I believe, as does Industrial Illusions, that everyone deserve to feel the passion of dueling. But that is not all. Anyone who logs into VRAINS will have their deck scanned by the software, and be given a unique Link Monster to fit their deck. Even two duelists with a similar deck will gain different Link Monsters."

Suddenly, the mood in the room had changed. And if Dalton had to guess, the same effect was happening in many places around the world.

"As you further duel in VRAINS, you will unlock more Link Monsters, again, each one of a kind." Jackson grinned, barely able to contain himself. You can create an avatar and a name if you want, or you can simply come as you are. Any identity is valid in VRAINS. But, of course, what would something so spectacular be….without an opening tournament?"

Dalton, Connor, Alexandra, and Cassandra all leaned forward slightly, much more interested in this announcement than they had expected to be.

"The Cyber World Tournament will begin in one month. That will be more than enough time for all of you to obtain the software necessary to play." Jackson said. "But, there are still some changes. This tournament will use the Speed Duel format."

"Speed Duel?" Dalton muttered, jumping slightly at the angry shushing coming from his brother and friends.

As Jackson spoke, a dueling mat appeared in front of him. "A Speed Duel is much more unique than anything we've seen before. First, in a look back at the old days, we have moved from 8000 Life Points to 4000 Life Points."

"Hence the term Speed Duel, the game will last half the time." Cassandra chimed in as Jackson continued with the explanation.

"Extra Deck and Deck size remain the same, but the dueling field will be restricted to three zones each." He said as crosses appeared over the extra zones. "And for those worried, rest assured that Pendulum Summoning is still possible, the zones are merely moved. Of course, this does mean if you've set the scales, you'll only have access to use a single Spell or Trap, so play wisely. Players begin with four cards in their hand. There is no Main Phase 2. Outside of that, every other dueling rule is the same." He suddenly let out a chuckle. "Well, except for the use of a Skill."

As if he sensed the repetition of the world from all watching, Jackson laughed again. "A Skill, like your Link Monster, is unique to each duelist. But you will not know what your Skill is to begin. Indeed, you must discover your Skill. To those confused, more will make sense when you enter VRAINS."

He smiled to himself. "But what is a tournament without a prize?" He asked before he took on the biggest smile yet. "The winner of this tournament will be granted any wish that is within the power of Industrial Illusions."

He stopped speaking for a moment, presumably knowing the reaction this would get.

"Any…any wish?" Alexandra repeated, as the other three looked to the TV in silence.

"We're all entering this tournament, aren't we?" Connor asked, receiving nods from the others.

"But to those still hesitant, we have a demonstration of a Speed Duel." Jackson said with a small smile. "And I get the feeling you'll appreciate this, if you know your history."

The scene changed. Suddenly, two people were riding some sort of boards through the sky. "These are D-Boards. They are what you will use for Speed Duels." Jackson could be heard saying as suddenly the duelists came into view properly.

Dalton moved to his feet. "That's Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba!" He exclaimed in surprise. "They recreated them in this world?"

"And they're dueling in Domino City!" Cassandra added, also standing up. "This is amazing! I know it's not really them, but this still feels like we're watching something historical."

"Sit down and shut up then." Alexandra suggested, causing both of her friends to blush and sit back down in their spots.

On the screen, both duelists rounded a corner, the Seto Kaiba simulation in front. Both players readied their disks, drawing out four cards.

"DUEL!"

Yugi: 4000

Kaiba: 4000

The virtual Kaiba went first, looking over his four card hand. "I place one card face-down and summon Peten the Dark Clown (3/500/1200) in defense mode!" Appearing alongside the D-Board was a brown-backed card as well as a clown in big and colourful clothes.

"My turn." The voice of Yugi Moto rang out as the lookalike drew a card. "I too set a card and then summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard (4/1400/1200) in attack mode!" An elf dressed in battle armour appeared alongside the King of Games, brandishing a sword. "I enter my Battle Phase and attack Peten the Dark Clown!"

The elven warrior leapt forward, cutting down the clown with ease before a copy of Peten appeared in place of the defeated one. "When Peten is sent to the Graveyard, it can be banished to Special Summon another one from the hand or deck."

Yugi nodded, looking at the field. "I end my turn." He said as the two continued to ride through the Domino City skies.

Kaiba drew, smirking at what he found. "At this moment, I will activate my Skill! Advent of the White Dragon!"

Peten disappeared as power seemed to course through Kaiba. "A Skill can only be used once per duel. Using my Skill, I can summon one Blue-Eyes monster from my hand with one less tribute than before! So, with only one sacrifice, I call forth Blue-Eyes White Dragon (8/3000/2500)!"

Even on a screen depicting a virtual reality, the four friends could still feel the legendary presence Blue-Eyes White Dragon demanded. With a single roar, it sent a powerful blast at Yugi's monster.

Yugi: 2400

Kaiba: 4000

"Obnoxious Celtic Guard cannot be destroyed in battle by a monster with at least 1900 ATK!" Yugi said.

Kaiba merely shrugged. "End turn."

"This is interesting so far." Cassandra commented. "The cards look more realistic than ever, and if the Skills are even half as good as that one, we'll be in for a treat."

"And we haven't even seen a Link Summon yet." Alexandra added. "And if the unique Link really is based off each duelist's deck…"

"Then we might just see a Blue-Eyes Link monster." Connor concluded. Dalton said nothing, too amazed by the sight in front of him.

The moment Yugi drew, he revealed his face-down card. "Activate Fiend's Sanctuary, to summon a Metal Fiend Token (1/0/0)." A small collection of silver spheres appeared next to Obnoxious Celtic Guard before they both disappeared. "I sacrifice my two monsters in order to Tribute Summon Buster Blader (7/2600/2300)!" Now on the field was a warrior donning navy armour, brandishing a huge sword. Upon seeing the dragon, he twirled the sword, readying for battle.

"Buster Blader gains 500 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster on your field or in your Graveyard (7/2600 +500 = 3100/2300)!" Yugi explained. "Buster Blader attacks Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The warrior leapt up, rising high and destroying the dragon with a single slash of its sword.

Yugi: 2400

Kaiba: 3900

"End turn." Yugi said simply. The moment he drew, Kaiba revealed his face-down card.

"Call of the Haunted Special Summons Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The deadly dragon reappeared on the field as Kaiba continued his move. "I summon Kaibaman (3/300/700)!"

A monster bearing a very similar appearance to the legendary CEO and wearing a helmet structured after a very familiar dragon appeared briefly before he disappeared again. "Kaibaman may be sacrificed to Special Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand (8/3000/2500)!

As a second copy of Blue-Eyes appeared on the field, Buster Blader grew stronger (7/3100 + 500 = 3600/2300). Holding up his hand, a blue spark appeared in Kaiba's hand. "Appear, the circuit of a new age!" Pointing at the sky, the spark grew to reveal a new shape. It was a square with a portal in the middle. At each edge, and the centre of each side, an arrow faced outwards, making eight in total. Kaiba flew inside it with the two dragons. The camera moved to show them inside a colourful space, looking down at the arrowed square.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Blue-Eyes monsters! I set the 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in the Link Markers!" As he spoke, both Blue-Eyes White Dragons flew towards the bottom left and bottom right of the square.

"The new age begins here! Link Summon! Roar, Blue-Eyes Neo Dragon (Link 2/3000/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right)!"

As Kaiba flew back down into Domino City, a new monster had joined him. It was Blue-Eyes, but covered in metallic armour. It shined brightly as it surged with power. Letting out a tremendous roar, it looked ready to battle.

Buster Blader surged more in power from the presence of the new dragon (7/3600 + 500 = 4100/2300), but Kaiba didn't seem to mind. "I activate the effect of my monster! By banishing a Blue-Eyes monster from my Graveyard, Neo Dragon gains it's ATK!"

The spirit of Blue-Eyes White Dragon flowed into the armour, practically doubling the Link Monster's size (Link 2/3000 + 3000 = 6000/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right). Meanwhile, Buster Blader lost some strength from one less Dragon in Kaiba's Graveyard (7/4100 – 500 = 3600/2500).

"Battle!" Kaiba declared as his monster charged up its blast. "Neo Stream!"

"If that attack hits, it'll be 2400 damage." Dalton said, staring at the screen. "That'll be enough to win!"

While Buster Blader was obliterated by Neo Dragon's blast, but it didn't reach Yugi, a collection of furballs blocking it. "I can discard Kuriboh to make the battle damage zero!" The King of Games called.

Kaiba nodded as Neo Dragon flew above him. "End turn!"

Yugi drew his card, leaving him with three cards in his hand. "Dark Magic Veil! At the cost of 1000 Life Points, one Dark Spellcaster-Type monster is Special Summoned from the hand or Graveyard! Appear, Dark Magician Girl!

Yugi: 1400

Kaiba: 3900

Appearing now was one of the most female monsters in the game, if not the most famous. She did a spin before flying next to Yugi, ready to fight (6/2000/1700)!

"At this time, I activate my Skill!" Yugi announced as his hand glowed. "Magical Surprise! I draw one card. If it is a Spell Card, it is immediately activated. Otherwise, it is sent to the Graveyard!"

"Risky Skill." Connor said. "He doesn't even know if it's going to pay off."

Cassandra smiled. "He was always known for drawing exactly what he needed to at the right time. Let's see if he can do the same here."

Snapping the card off the top of his deck, Yugi glanced at it before activating it. "Sage's Stone. As I control a face-up Dark Magician Girl, one Dark Magician (7/2500/2100) is Special Summoned from the Deck!"

Appearing next to the apprentice was her master, the purple wearing Spellcaster known around the world as the signature card of the ultimate duelist. Yugi's hand glowed the way Kaiba's had before. "Appear, the circuit of wisdom!"

Following the same path Kaiba had, Yugi now appeared in the mysterious void. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 6 or higher Spellcaster-Type monsters! I set Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician in the Link Markers!"

Turning into orbs, the two mages moved to the bottom corner arrows, the same way Blue-Eyes had done.

"Born is the ultimate sorcerer! Link Summon! Ascend, Dark Master Magician (Link 2/2500/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right)!"

The new mage's presence was felt all around the world. He wore the same robes Dark Magician had, but something was different. This magician was experienced. He looked a decade older than the famous spellcaster. Indeed, this looked like Dark Magician at his prime.

"Activate, Monster Reborn!" Yugi called, playing the final card in his hand. "Dark Magician is summoned to the centre Main Monster Zone!" The young mage appeared again, and the similarity was clearer than ever. Meanwhile, Dark Master Magician's staff began to glow.

"When a Spellcaster-Type monster is Special Summoned to a Zone Dark Master Magician points to, his effect is activated!" Yugi explained. "From my deck, I can add one card that specifically lists the card 'Dark Magician' in its card text."

Adding it to his hand, the King of Games let it be no mystery as he immediately activated it. "Thousand Knives. As I control Dark Magician, one monster you control is destroyed!" From the sky rained knives that each stabbed into Neo Dragon's armour. Eventually, it was too much, and the mighty beast was destroyed.

"Battle! Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi yelled as his mage beckoned with his hand, causing Kaiba to stumble slightly.

Yugi: 1400

Kaiba: 1400

"Dark Master Magician, attack with Ultimate Sceptre Blast!" Yugi ordered as his Link Monster twirled its staff before it unleashed a blast that hit Kaiba full on, ending the game.

Yugi: 1400

Kaiba: 0

As the duelists came to a halt, the camera faded away, and suddenly Jackson was staring at the screen. "I do certainly hope you all enjoyed the show." He said with a small smile.

"I did." Alexandra said excitedly. "First time a Link Summon has got me pumped."

"Now I know what you all are thinking." Jackson nodded. "How can we be certain this software is safe?" His smile widened. "I am currently in the VRAINS. You are looking at the universe already."

As the four gasped and traded looks, Jackson chuckled and leaned forward. "Feeling excited now?"

* * *

"Ten minutes." Dalton said to his laptop. "Are we all certain we're ready to go? Names, decks, avatars are all 100% selected?"

"Dalton, we've had enough time to work this all out." Alexandra said. "We're ready. Really."

"Alex is right." Cassandra chimed in. "And we've already set it up so that we end up in the same area together when we log on. We've got this handled."

"Sorry, Cass, my brother just likes to worry." Connor laughed. "But we all have the software set up, and we know because of the reassurances from Industrial Illusions that we don't have to worry about our bodies becoming affected by hunger or thirst. They've really got it covered."

Dalton rolled his eyes. "I just want to be sure, okay? This is still risky. It's a huge change from how we normally duel."

After receiving eye rolls from his friends and his brother, Dalton groaned. "Fine. Fine. I'll see you guys soon."

After receiving farewells from everyone, Dalton closed his eyes and got himself ready. "Here we go."

Cassandra and Alexandra were each in their own homes, and Connor was in his own room. Dalton was grateful the software needed was small enough that they didn't have to worry about placement.

Walking up to the box needed to head into VRAINS, Dalton pressed the button to open it, closing it behind him once he had entered. "Okay, Dalton, you can do this. It's easy enough, just log on and hope your brain doesn't get fried." Looking down at his deck, he allowed himself to smile. "Here goes."

Taking his deck, he slammed his deck into the duel disk. "Deck Set! Into The VRAINS!"

* * *

 **Ok, so we're off to a start here. Now, I want to clarify that this won't stop my GX story. I plan on alternating chapters for these two so I'm always updating one of them. Into the Darkness is currently on indefinite hiatus until I decide what I want to do with it. Dawn of the VRAINS and Duel Academy Year 1 will be my priority here.**

 **But hey, this is definitely new for me. I'd only ever gone as far as Synchro Summoning in my writing, so this could be fun. Hope you guys enjoyed the start here. Please leave your thoughts and reviews, and I'll see you next time!**


	2. The Opening Duel

**Chapter 2 – The Opening Duel**

Dalton could feel himself falling in a way. And yet, he wasn't worried. Something about this felt just right. Suddenly, a feeling ran through him, and on instinct he stuck his feet out just as ground appeared beneath it. He was forced to land down on one knee. Taking a moment to breathe, he pushed himself to his feet and looked around. "Woah."

It was beautiful, like something out of a fairy tale. Hills that seemed to go on for miles. A flowing river with perfectly clear water. Around him he could see people moving about. Some looked like regular people, others dressed in colourful clothes. It was then it occurred to Dalton that he had in fact designed an avatar for this universe, so he ran to the water's edge to see his reflection.

His suit was silver, in a way that he looked almost mechanic. At the centre of his chest, a blue sphere glowed with power. Looking up at his face, he smiled. He could still see his own eyes, but a mask had formed around them. It was silver, with the same blue sphere appearing on his forehead. It was exactly like he had imagined.

" _Welcome, Dalton."_ A voice rang out, and Dalton was alarmed as he looked down at his duel disk, where the voice seemed to have come from. "What? Who said that?" He asked in confusion.

" _Greetings."_ The voice spoke again, as a silver eye appeared on his duel disk. _"I am AI, the artificial intelligence assigned to you as you traverse the world of VRAINS. I may be asked about card effects, the world itself, or also the tournament. Would you like to change my name to personalise it?"_

Raising his eyebrows, Dalton thought about it for a moment before he smiled. "I'll call you Zane. And now I understand why Industrial Illusions were quite vague about how the tournament actually works. All my questions could be answered right here. So, Zane, what can you tell me about the tournament rules?"

" _Due to my programming, I may currently only access information on the first stage of the tournament."_ Zane said calmly. _"But first, you are currently assigned 10 VRAINS credits. During a duel, you may bet any number of credits in multiples of five. When you run out of credits, you are eliminated from the tournament. When you reach 100 credits, you have passed the first stage of the tournament and may proceed to the second stage."_

Dalton nodded in understanding before his eyes widened. "Wait a minute…where's my deck?" His eyes widened as he realised he was suddenly unable to find it.

" _Your deck is stored digitally inside of your deck to make it easier to keep safe."_ Zane explained. _"You may access your deck whenever you wish, and when dueling I will automatically draw from your deck and access it when needed."_

"Wow." Dalton said in surprise. "They really did think of everything. My friends and I set it so we'd end up in the same place, where are they?"

" _To avoid any possible problems, when assigning locations, the staff made sure that, while you would be in the same area, you would still enter the world at a reasonable distance from other duelists."_ Zane answered.

As he pondered the current information, he heard a yell from behind him. "And who would dare block the path of the great and mighty Abyss?"

Turning to see who was talking to him, Dalton was, to be frank, bewildered at the sight. It was like he was in a comic book with the way the man looked. Clearly, he had gone all out with his avatar. While he wore cargo shorts, that was the only piece of clothing he wore. He held a trident in his hand, and wore a ferocious snarl as he stared down Dalton. "I ask again, who dares?"

Dalton let a moment of silence pass before he spoke. "Okay…dude, I was just checking my reflection. Didn't mean to get in your way…I'm sorry, what was the name?"

"Abyss!" He yelled in anger. "I will not tolerate such disrespect of a superior. You and I will have a Speed Duel, and you will certainly face doom!"

"Uhhh." Dalton said, looking down at his duel disk. "Zane, is this guy for real?"

" _Indeed."_ Zane replied. _"Any duelist is allowed to challenge any duelist in the VRAINS. Of course, you are not obligated to accept."_

"Only a coward would refuse a duel!" Abyss called, arm already raised. "And I propose we both bet 10 VRAINS credits! It will be a pleasure to eliminate you from the tournament!"

"How do you know I don't have more than 10 credits?" Dalton asked, doing his best to keep up a poker face.

" _As I already said, you have 10 credits."_ Zane chimed, causing Dalton to face-fall.

"Thanks, Zane, I was trying to bluff." Dalton mumbled before he looked at his challenger. "But you know what? Fine. If it will shut you up and let me go find my friends, I'll duel you with ten credits on the line. So, one of us is definitely leaving!"

"Very well!" Abyss called as a board materialised under him. "Then come and face your defeat!" Without another word said, he flew into the sky.

"Okay, how do I do that?" Dalton asked, looking down. To his surprise, he was suddenly standing on his own board. "Oh….alright then." Looking up, he felt himself controlling the board and pursued his opponent. He kept flying high, and soon saw Abyss. Following the duelist, they began to come towards a castle. "Alright, Abyss, here I am!"

The man laughed. "Very well, then. Let the Speed Duel commence!"

Nodding, Dalton raised his arm, watching in amazement as four cards materialised in front of him. "So, this is how it works in here? Fine by me." He looked to Abyss with determination. "Bring it!"

Dalton: 4000

Abyss: 4000

"Superiors go first!" Abyss announced, looking over his hand. "One card is set on the field." A brown-backed card appeared alongside his board. "Then I Normal Summon Mermail Abysspike (4/1600/800) in attack mode!"

Appearing alongside the duelist was a merman, and it was now clear to see where Abyss had gotten the inspiration for his avatar. "When I summon Abysspike, I may discard a WATER monster to my Graveyard in order to add a Level 3 Water Monster to my hand. I discard Mermail Abyssocea (3/1100/1900) in order to add Mermail Abyssdine (3/1000/200)!"

Discard his card, Abyss held his hand to his deck as a card slid out of it. "When Abyssdine is added to my hand by a card effect, I may Special Summon it from my hand!" A younger mermaid appeared next to Abysspike.

Dalton watched the field curiously. _'Okay, so a decent enough start, but I can handle that. I just need to be careful.'_

"Appear, the circuit that commands the tides!" Abyss declared, shocking Dalton.

"He has access to his Link Monster already?" He gasped.

Hearing his opponent, Abyss smirked. "Every player is assigned a Link Monster upon entering VRAINS. It's one of a kind and goes along their deck. You have to unlock the ability to use it via dueling, but with the assistance of someone on the development team, I was allowed to get access to my first Link Monster early and thus know how to use it!"

"Damnit." Dalton muttered under his breath before speaking loudly. "Isn't that cheating?"

Abyss shrugged. "You see it as cheating, I see it as playing the system. Now without further ado…Arrowheads confirmed!" He flew upwards through the portal, and all Dalton could do was watch.

"The summoning conditions are two Aqua, Fish, and/or Sea Serpent monsters!" Abyss announced. "I set Mermail Abysspike, and Mermail Abyssdine into the Link Markers! Feel the fury of the ocean! Link Summon! Rise, Link 2 Mermail Abyssalacia(Link 2/1600/Link Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right)!"

As Abyss's two monsters turned into energy to hit the appropriate arrows, a tsunami formed through the portal. Once it calmed, the Mermail duelist was now flying alongside his new monster. The woman had purple hair and matching armour, as she twirled a gold staff in her hands.

"I end my turn." Abyss chuckled. "Do try and keep up, rookie."

Groaning at his opponent, Dalton drew his card, looking over his five-piece hand. "So, Zane, feel like giving me that Link Monster now?"

" _I am afraid that is not how it works."_ Zane said quietly. _"According to Jackson Smith, you unlock the card via dueling, though I understand said requirement differs for each duelist."_

"Great." Dalton said dryly. "I'll just win without a Link Summon then." Looking at Abyss with a newfound determination, Dalton selected a card. "Since you control monsters and I don't, I get to Special Summon this card from my hand! Go, Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600)!"

In front of the dueling appeared a silver draconic machine, which let out a roar as it faced down the Link Monster.

"By all means, attack me." Abyss challenged. "Your monster is stronger after all."

"Actually, I have a better use for my cards." Dalton said simply. "But first, I get off a monster effect! Since I Special Summoned a Cyber Dragon, we get to give a warm welcome to the mighty Cyber Dragon Vier (4/1100/1600)!" What looked like a miniature version of Cyber Dragon appeared, with purple orbs along its body. "While I have Vier, all my Cyber Dragons gain 500 ATK and DEF! And did I mention Vier happens to count as a Cyber Dragon?"

An aura surrounded the two machines, powering them (5/2100 + 500 = 2600/1600 + 500 = 2100) (4/1100 + 500 = 1600/1600 + 500 = 2100).

"Impressive, so you will attack now?" Abyss asked, staring down the two monsters.

"I'll attack when I say I want to attack." Dalton answered, tapping another card in his hand. "I still have my Normal Summon, so I'll call out Cyber Dragon Zwei (4/1500/1000)!" Another silver dragon appeared on his field, and Dalton grinned. "And now, we say goodbye to both Vier and your Link Monster!"

"What?" Abyss gasped as his only monster vanished from sight. "Explain what just happened, boy!"

"I would if you would actually let me finish my sentences!" Dalton yelled back at him. "I can send a Cyber Dragon plus one or more monsters in the Extra Monster Zone in order to Fusion Summon Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon (10/0/0)!"

A cry from the sky got Abyss's attention, and he looked up. Flying above them was a large purple machine. It spread its wide wings and let out another cry, sending a powerful wind through the area. Abyss growled, moving to lead the two inside the castle. As they flew through the large corridors, he looked back. "Your monster doesn't have any ATK!"

"I was getting to that!" Dalton grinned. "My Megafleet's original ATK is equal to the number of his Fusion Materials times 1200! And I counted two!" The metallic dragon roared with power (10/2 * 1200 = 2400/0). Looking on his field, Dalton couldn't help but wear a wide smile. "My Cyber Dragon may lose a boost since Vier is gone (5/2600 - 500 = 2100/2100 – 500 = 1600) but now together I have an attack force of 6000! More than enough to end this duel! Zwei, lead the charge!"

As his monster closed in on the Mermail duelist, Abyss revealed his face-down. "I activate Abyss-Sphere! Now I Special Summon one Mermail monster from my deck, but it will die at the end of the turn! I choose Mermail Abysslinee (3/1500/1200) in defense mode!"

A blue haired mermaid wearing red armour briefly appeared before Zwei switched its attack and destroyed her. "Now my other two monsters can finish you off!" Dalton declared.

Abyss laughed at that. "Please. You show no hope. When Abysslinde is destroyed and sent to my Graveyard, I may Special Summon another Mermail from my deck. "And this time I shall choose Mermail Abyssmegalo (7/2400/1900)!" Above him appeared a monstrous behemoth wearing battle armour and wielding a spiked tentacle. "Do you still wish to attack?"

Looking over his hand, Dalton sighed. "I guess I'll have to place these two cards face-down." However, when he hit the cards, he found they were unable to activate. "Hey, what's the deal?"

Abyss laughed again, an act Dalton found himself getting more and more annoyed with every time. "Do you forget the rules of a Speed Duel, foolish mortal? There is no Main Phase 2!"

Paling, Dalton let out a nervous chuckle. "Uh…sure, I remember that! I was just seeing if you did. I'll end my turn here."

"Foolish." Abyss muttered, drawing another card. "You shall see my power here. "I Normal Summon Atlantean Heavy Infantry (2/0/1600)!" A small amphibian like creature holding what looked like two pieces of a shield appeared next to the WATER duelist. "Now I shall activate my mighty beast's effect. By tributing 1 other face-up Attack Position WATER Monster, Abyssmegalo gains a second attack!" The small monster disappeared.

"And that is not all!" Abyss declared as suddenly Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon was destroyed. "Through the effect of my Heavy Infantry, when it is sent to the Graveyard to activate the effect of a WATER monster, I can destroy a face-up monster you control!" He pointed forward. "And now Abyssmegalo shall deal with both of your monsters!"

Dalton could only watch as his monsters were cut down with ease.

Dalton: 2200

Abyss: 4000

"It is your turn now." Abyss said triumphantly. "Do try and get at least a small amount of damage done, or this entire duel will have been a waste."

Dalton took a deep breath as he slowly drew the next card of his deck. Looking over it, he decided on the best course of action. "I place two cards face-down and then summon Cyber Larva (1/400/600) in attack mode!" Along with two brown-backed cards appeared a new monster, tiny in size. It was a silver metallic serpent-like creature, with a golden tip for its tail. Confident in what he now had, Dalton gave his opponent a firm nod.

"My turn!" Abyss said forcefully, drawing the next card from his deck. "And the end begins with my summoning of Atlantean Marksman (3/1400/0)!" Another amphibian monster appeared alongside his monsters. It wielded a crossbow.

"And now I shall reuse the effect of Abyssmegalo!" Abyss declared as the crossbow holding amphibian disappeared. "And of course, this activates the effect of my Marksman, allowing me to destroy one of your set cards!"

Dalton paled a little, but calmed as he looked at his face-downs. _'It's okay. One is Mirror Force and the other is Storming Mirror Force. Either way I've got a backup plan in mind here.'_

"I activate my Skill!" Abyss yelled triumphantly.

"Your what now?" Dalton asked in distress.

Abyss chuckled darkly. "My Skill, of course. Didn't you remember how I had already accessed my powers?" Turning his board to face Dalton properly, he smirked. "Mr Skill, Rage of the Sea, allows me to, once per duel, use the special effect of an Atlantean twice. This means both of those face-down monsters will be reduced to dust!"

Dalton gasped as his force was destroyed in an instant. "Oh, man." He said worriedly, looking at his monster. "Now his big guy can attack twice. But that's okay, I can handle it."

"You think I am done?" Abyss chuckled as he looked at the last card in his hand. "You will face true terror soon enough. "I activate Prohibition and call Chimeratech Overdragon!"

Dalton paled even more. _'No! Now I can't hope to draw Overload Fusion and finish him in one big hit!'_

"By the looks of it, I've ruined your strategy." Abyss chuckled darkly. "Abyssmegalo, attack and destroy Cyber Larva!" He announced as his monster moved forward.

"I activate the effect of Cyber Larva!" Dalton called as his small monster was completely obliterated. "I take no damage for the rest of the turn, and since it was destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard!" Another Larva appeared again, only to be destroyed by the massive WATER monster's second strike. His final copy of Cyber Larva appeared, as Abyssmegalo returned to Abyss's side of the field.

"Very well, you get one more turn." Abyss shrugged. "But I am ready for whatever card you draw. You are best surrendering the duel here."

Taking a breath in an attempt to calm himself, Dalton shook his head. "No chance. I promised my friends we would get far together, and that means I can't lose here! My draw!" He snapped the top card of his deck with fury, though felt a sick feeling in his stomach as he saw what he had. _'Overload Fusion?! But I can only make one monster at this point, and it won't win me the duel.'_

Looking down at his field, he felt worry. _'Am I really going to lose here?'_ A feeling of determination suddenly erupted inside him. _'No! I won't! I will keep my promise to my friends, and I will go to the top! I won't lose!'_ To his shock, his duel disk began to glow. "What in the world?"

" _Congratulations._ " Zane hummed. _"It appears you've managed to unlock the first step in your potential. Now do try and win this duel."_

Now having a new feeling inside him, Dalton suddenly knew what to do. As if the way had been covered by fog, and now the sky was clear. "I activate my own Skill, Cybernetic Uprising!"

"What?" Abyss asked in shock. "You unlocked your Skill?"

Dalton ignored him as light erupted from the ground. "Cybernetic Uprising allows me to Special Summon any number of Cyber Dragons from my Graveyard! And you should know that as well as the original, Zwei and Vier count as Cyber Dragon while they're in the Graveyard! But for my big move here, I'll only need one. Cyber Dragon, return to me!"

The silver monster appeared back alongside its owner, who let out a wide grin at the sight (5/2100/1600).

"Appear, the circuit of the future world!" Dalton announced, launching himself into the sky. "Arrowheads confirmed!"

Looking down, he watched as his two monsters turned into light. "The summoning requirements are two Machine monsters, including Cyber Dragon! I set Cyber Dragon and Cyber Larva into the Link Markers! See the technology of the new world! Link Summon! Link 2, Cyber Dragon Zieger (Link 2/2100/Link Arrows: Left, Bottom)!"

A futuristic version of Cyber Dragon appeared. Along its body, it glowed with neon blue. It led the field in front of Dalton, who smiled as he activated his next card. "I activate Overload Fusion, removing Viel and Zwei from my Graveyard!" As the spirit of his monsters appeared and then vanished into a vortex, Dalton began a new chant.

"The rage of the machines knows no bounds. They will extinguish all of their enemies without question. Fusion Summon! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon (5/2100/1600)!"

Appearing now was a new machine, a much darker look than Zieger. A black shape of some sort, it suddenly opened compartments, with tails and heads emerging around. It stared down Abyss, who let out a loud laugh.

"It pales in comparison to my monster!" He chortled. "Despite all its anger, it has no power to deliver."

"You really shouldn't say that about my monsters." Dalton grinned. "First, my Rampage Dragon, when Fusion Summoned, lets me destroy Spells or Traps equal to the number of materials used!" Without another word from Dalton, Prohibition shattered into dust.

"And it doesn't stop there!" Dalton said triumphantly. "I can send up to two LIGHT Machine monsters from my deck to my Graveyard to give him an extra attack for each card sent! And I'll just send another copy of Cyber Dragon to give him two attacks this turn!"

Abyss frowned as both heads of Chimeratech Rampage Dragon prepared to fire. "It is not strong enough to destroy Abyssmegalo."

"I'm well aware of that." Dalton said with a grin. "So, I enter my Battle Phase, and activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Zieger! Since Zieger hasn't attacked this turn, I can stop him from dealing any damage in order to target one Machine monster with at least 2100 ATK. So, I target Rampage Dragon, and Zieger gives my buddy an extra 2100 ATK!"

"WHAT!?" Abyss yelled loudly as Dalton's Fusion flowed with power (Link 2/2100 + 2100 = 4200/Link Arrows: Left, Bottom)

"Rampage Dragon, obliterate his monster!" Dalton ordered as one head finally let loose a blast, wiping out Abyss's monster.

Dalton: 2200

Abyss: 2200

Dalton grinned widely as he sent one final order out. "Now use that second attack to call it a day!" The second blast his Abyss dead on, causing him to fly down and crash into the ground.

Dalton: 2200

Abyss: 0

As the monsters faded away, Dalton flew down and jumped off his board to run to his defeated opponent. "Hey, you okay?" He asked as he grabbed the WATER duelist's arm, helping him to his feet.

Abyss chuckled, smiling at Dalton as they made contact. "I have to admit, I wasn't anticipating such a strong attack like that. I guess your dragon really was mad."

Dalton blinked in surprise as he looked at the taller man. "Wait…you're not mad you lost? I mean, with the cheating and all the trash talk, I was expecting a bit more violent of a reaction."

Abyss rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Okay, confession time. I didn't cheat. I won a special contest to get a sneak peek at my Skill and my Link Monster. And the trash talk was just me getting carried away with my character."

Dalton stayed silent for a moment, letting out a dry chuckle. "You…you were just kidding around?"

Abyss nodded, a nervous grin on his face. "Sorry." He said before he sighed. "But either way, we did bet all we had. So, you get all my points and I'm out of the tournament." He pressed a button on his disk, and watched as his points depleted to 0 and Dalton's rose to 20.

Dalton looked at his disk for a moment before he extended his hand. "You fought a good duel. Almost had me."

Abyss took the hand and shook, a small smile. "But it was you who got me in the end. Go far in this tournament, Dalton. You promised it to your friends, and now you will promise it to me."

Grinning, Dalton nodded. "I suppose that's only fair. I'll get right to the top."

With a nod at him, Abyss pressed another button on his disk, logging out with a small smile on his face.

In the silence, Dalton looked down at his disk with a frown. "Well, Zane, it looks like we managed to win our first ever match. 20 credits just like that….awesome."

' _Indeed.'_ Zane said with a noticeable cheerfulness in his voice, despite being AI. _'Now, weren't you going to try and reunite with your friends?'_ He asked.

Dalton nodded, looking around for any sign of familiar faces. "I was. And I have absolutely no idea where they are. But I'll keep looking. If my friends are predictable enough it shouldn't take long to find them." He placed his hands in his pockets and walked off, contemplating how everything had gone since he logged into this amazing virtual world.

 **And slowly but surely, we're off to a start. It's definitely interesting to write Speed Duels, with the lower life point counts and the different fields. I can't wait to get more into this. I'll do a chapter for my GX story before this though. Because like I said, I'm trying to alternate between them so neither falls behind.**


End file.
